LOST Magazine Vol 21 Issue 121

YO U R S T O K E E P

VO L 2 1 I S S U E 1 2 1

Don’t leave town without visiting....

Whether you’re joining us for a pint at the bar, cocktail in the lounge or a bite in our restaurant, you can immerse yourself in the region by sampling our seasonal and local product-driven food menu & drinks list. Our regulars welcome those from out of town to Eat • Drink • Sleep • Be Local.

Open lunch & dinner thefarmersarms.com.au 1 East St, Daylesford. VIC 3460 03 5348 2091

Enjoy the powerful flavours of the Central-Highlands region in a casual and welcoming, yet sophisticated setting with an eclectic 70’s twist. The perfect place for an after work catch-up or a get together with friends, we welcome those from near & far to Eat • Drink • Sleep • Be Local.

Open lunch & dinner greatwesternhotelballancom.au 110 Inglis St, Ballan. VIC 3342 03 5368 2492

CO N TE N TS DRINK

F E AT U R E

The Real Deal

Natural Creations

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35

C R E AT E

PRODUCE

Greatest Pleasures

Reshape the Future

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42 C O C K TA I L

PROPERTY

Rekindling the Spirit

Suffering Bastard

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48

RECIPE

E AT

The Beating Heart of History

White Chocolate Meringue

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27

L O S T N E W S G AT E W AY S L O S T R E A L E S TAT E

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PAG E 2 8 PAG E 57

L O S T - T H E G U I D E T O W H E R E T O F I N D I T

PAG E 6 0

L O C A L Q & A

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LO S T M AG A Z I N E | 3

VO L 2 1 I S S U E 1 2 1 | F EBRUA RY 2 0 2 1 ABOUT LOST MAGA ZINE

Lost Magazine is an independent monthly magazine circulating throughout Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Kyneton, Trentham, Glenlyon, Castlemaine, Woodend, Creswick, Clunes and surrounds. We also distribute to select Melbourne venues and to an ever-growing subscriber base.

LOST TE AM

PUBLISHERS

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

PHOTOGR APHER

Tony De Marco & Theresa Albioli

Taylor Albioli

Ryan Wait

Chris Turner

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

F E AT U R E W R I T E R

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Larissa Dubecki

Mahmood Fazal

Michael Harden

Anthony Carrubba

LOST MAGA ZINE

COVER IMAGE

3 Howe Street, Daylesford VIC 3460 editor@lostmagazine.com.au 03 5348 2324

Adsum Farmhouse by photographer Chris Turner. Read the full story on page 42.

DISTRIBUTION

taylor@lostmagazine.com.au ADVERTISING

taylor@lostmagazine.com.au 03 5348 2324 | 0490 182 318 SOCIAL MEDIA

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

All content in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without express permission of the publisher. All care is taken to ensure accuracy in editorial and advertising however the publishers and any contributors accept no responsibility for errors or omissions. All material herein constitutes information and not advice.

Cellar Door Now Open Mon-Fri 9am - 4pm Sat 10am - 2pm

11 57 Leitches Creel d, Daylesford

thefermentary.com.au @thefermentary (03) 5348 1370

LO S T N EW S

Lost News

F

ebruary is always an interesting month.

Those who are lucky enough to take annual leave have slogged back to work. The kids have returned to school (I may have actually heard that collective sigh of relief!). I think the most common refrain we hear on February 1st, though, is 'I can't believe how quickly January flew past this year!'. I'm sure there are lots of scientific reasons why January usually feels like the shortest month to our brains. However, I like to think for our readers, it's because they're always so eagerly awaiting the next edition of Lost! Wishful thinking, maybe...?

What an adventure this edition has been. I know I say this every time, but what a beautiful community. I cherish every moment I get to chat with, or even email, someone from our little neck of the woods. Thank you to everyone for being you!

Now, what did we actually get up to this edition...

Mahmood started in Trentham, where he visited and basked in the beautiful artworks of Rose, Helen, Ri and Kim at Little Gallery.

WRAP UP OF NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN OUR REGION B Y E D I T O R , TAY L O R A L B I O L I

Never too far up the road, Mahmood chatted with Lachlan of poetry and life in the countryside. Edward and Fiona let Mahmood into their oasis, Adsum Farmhouse, where homegrown produce takes on a whole new meaning. Finally, Mahmood was lucky to view the recently refurbished Great Western hotel in Ballan with owner, Mitch.

Larissa visited the local Red Hill Hotel for a bite to eat and a chat about all things delicious with Jim. And, Micheal went back to basics with Rachael and Troy at Inglenook Dairy - who doesn't love a local glass of milk.

Anthony pondered life and time, presenting various of food for thought.

Don't let me say too much! Go and enjoy the stories in all of their glory. Take a seat with that coffee and cake, it's time to get Lost...

Taylor Albioli Editor

LO S T M AG A Z I N E | 7

LO ST DR INK

The

Real

Deal

INGLENOOK DAIRY STORY BY MICHAEL HARDEN PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

“

T

he main thing about our milk is we don’t strip it back; we don’t pull stuff out of it to make other products – it’s 100 percent milk. So when people ask us what we do to make our milk taste like milk used to taste, we just say: Nothing. That’s why it tastes like milk.”

Rachael Peterken and her husband Troy have been producing milk that tastes like milk at Inglenook Dairy in Dunnstown since 2011 but their ties to the dairy industry go deeper and further back. Rachael’s parents, Basil and Sheila Britt were dairy farmers who made a living from a farm started by her grandparents. But in the years preceding 2011, there was serious talk of giving away the dairy game for good because of the milk price war.

“After the deregulation of the dairy industry my dad decided that dairy farming was

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LO S T D R I N K

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LO S T D R I N K

becoming too hard to make a living from,” says Rachael. “With the milk wars, it was costing more to produce the milk than they could sell it for.”

This is when the next generation took over.

Rachael had always admired the way her dad was a passionate advocate “for the farmers and the little guys in the dairy industry” and wanted to do something that would make the industry more sustainable for small farmers.

“We decided it would be pretty cool to bottle our own milk,” Rachael says. “We didn’t know about anything to do with bottling milk or about pasteurising or food laws but we got

busy Googling and my husband, who is a very clever man, drew up plans and began to build the manufacturing plant. We had to do it on weekends – Troy had a fulltime job and I was looking after three small children.”

It took two years before they bottled their first milk and then, Rachael says, they looked at each other and said: “Gosh, we have to actually sell it now.”

“We had no marketing background, we were just two people trying to give it a bit of a crack.”

It took a few months but people caught on that this milk – first from her parents' farm and then

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from other dairy farmers in the region - was the real deal. They were stocked in Ballarat, then Melbourne, and local cafes caught on that this rich, delicious, unfussed-with milk went perfectly with coffee. They went from producing 7000 litres of milk a week in the early days to now producing more than 30 000 litres in low fat, full cream and, their most popular line, cream top, versions.

The Inglenook range now includes pot set yoghurt, pure cream (not thickened, and so much sought after by home bakers) and butter, salted and unsalted.

Inglenook Dairy is a success by anyone’s measure but as far as Rachael is concerned, one of their greatest triumphs is buying the milk from local farmers at proper prices that make local farming sustainable and making sure that “people in the region will always have access to their own beautiful local products.”

The sustainability doesn’t stop with farmers either. Troy Peterken is in the midst of trialling a milk tap dispenser system for cafes that will lessen their reliance on plastic bottles. This next generation of a dairy industry family is not through with innovation yet.

Inglenook Dairy 0438 530 590 www.inglenookdairy.com.au 265 Ti Tree Road, Dunnstown

L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 13

Pristine, fresh, modern The Virgin café marries cultures and unites taste buds. Exclusive regional supplier of ‘Proud Mary’ coffee, voted the best coffee beans in Australia. Rich bread and baked goods. Part café, part gallery, admire the original artwork adorning the walls as you enjoy some of the finest culinary delights in Victoria.

At The Virgin, we are commited to supporting local & organic farmers where possible. Some of the regions finest suppliers that we support are Mount Franklin Organics, Madelaines Eggs, Irrewarra, Istra Smallgoods, O’Toole Honey and our very own Chef’s Garden

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THE AT H O T E L B E L L I N Z O N A

LO ST CREATE C REATE

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LO S T C CRREATE EATE

Greatest Pleasures L ACHL AN MCKENZIE S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L PHOTOS PROVIDED

L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 17

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L

achlan Mckenzie stands tall in a golden field with a splattered easel. His long curls blow in the wind as he tucks a paisley scarf into his shirt and begins to think. Oil paintings of desolate landscapes and lonely trees are coupled with titles such as Just Somewhere and Walking Home. His work ebbs and flows between paint and language.

“I do a lot of painting and a lot of poetry,” explains Lachlan. “And sometimes that's really frustrating, but at the same time it's one of the greatest pleasures...not being limited and being creatively open.”

LO S T C R EATE Lachlan was raised in Kyneton, for university he travelled to Melbourne and joined the contemporary poetry scene. “I worked in the city and with the city, I was with and around so many young creatives. But on the other side of that energy, I was just in love with the classics and in love with that historical atmosphere.”

Paint runs in Lachlan’s blood. His mother is a traditionally trained oil painter. “I grew up around art and paintings” quips Lachlan. “It was always in the house. And there was always something she was working on.” At the age of 16, he decided to give art a crack.

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LO S T C R EATE

“I'm someone that will always want to approach something slowly, with the aim to explore technique. I think there’s a lot I can still learn from the masters—the greats.”

While pondering the open plains, Lachlan’s inspiration, or “process of thought”, cycles from Greek mythology to dialogues from the French Revolution.

“The earliest painting I can remember is a semi-abstract landscape. I was always drawn to landscapes, the scope of them—the colours.

I particularly remember focusing on different colour palettes, they were always muted and saturated,” remembers Lachlan. “I'm always driving around just random places for painting.

The landscapes around the Macedon Ranges are gorgeous. It's different in every direction.

It's easy to get lost, hypnotised.”

On his website, Last Borrowed Breath, a quote from Tolstoy underscores his work; “The pleasure was not in the discovery, but in the search for it.” Lachlan’s painting Shadow Of Edgeward House features an ominous farmhouse disappearing in grey and blue shading. The cold mood creates an atmosphere of sobering romance. Smoke bellows from a chimney and distant clouds take shape in the reflection of a pond, a fitting scene to words woven together by Lachlan; The monotone of summer’s stitched through the dawns falling relapse, where dreams are thick and rich. The moon is caught blushing above waves, the sea has run to wake her fractured love. Your face is growing quiet, your heart’s far out at sea, all between is Summer rain. It will die with the week.

Lachlan McKenzie www.lastborrowedbreath.com @lachlancipimckenzie

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LO ST PROPE RTY

Rekindling the

Spirit

G R E AT W E S T E R N H O T E L B A L L A N S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

T

he poet William Blake writes, “a good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation.”

Mitch Duncan, property developer behind the Farmers Arms hotel, has focused his energy on rekindling the spirit of pub culture in his latest venture the Great Western Hotel in Ballan.

“You can renovate the heart out of a hotel if you change its physical structure too much,” quips Mitch, glowing with enthusiasm. “You lose all that conversation that's been in there.

It's all still in there; the laughing and crying and all the rest of it. It's life is all still in that pub...if you don't rip it all out.”

Celebrating the produce and personality of the Central-Highlands region, the Great Western Hotel encourages punters to eat, drink, sleep and be local.

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“The pub was closed when we got hold of it. In the 90s it was actually a really thriving hotel, very well known for its steak because the area is renowned for its cattle. It is what it is; a flat roofed, orange brick pub - purpose built hotel, with a bottle shop, with a main bar, with a billiard room, with a band room and an old club bar.”

Mitch decided to stay true to the mid-century design while reimagining its values. “The Farmers Arms logo is a goat with antlers.

You know it’s a country hotel. We chose the peacock for the Great Western Hotel because we really wanted to create a space not just for men, but for women and families.”

As cars wind into Ballan, the routes remain undisturbed. “The houses are original, there's two old fuel stations with the blouses still out the front. We found there was a really strong

LO S T P RO P ERTY

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sense of community,” explains Matt. “That's why we felt it was going to be a good place to have a good hotel and apply the same ethos as we have at the Farmers Arms which is exceptional food, local produce, wine and beverage lists.”

On the walls of the Great Western Hotel, the paintings of Steve Rosendale, portraits of hard-boiled detectives and smoking pin up girls, invite a sense of retro nostalgia that is complemented by prawn cocktails and blownglass chandeliers.

“I was at a wonderful place in Prahran and I found a couple of Japanese porcelain dolls that were 120 years old. In the cocktail lounge, they’re sitting on the African bone-inlay coffee table. It’s a wonderful contrast,” adds Mitch.

“There’s things from the Cameroon islands and African headdresses that we’ve put on the wall.

There’s chesterfield couches, which are very English. So African, English and Japanese; all those different cultures work together. Along with a little seventies plastic. It’s fun.”

Some of the dubious locals have come back to the Great Western and said, “We thought it was going to be a bit fancy for us.” Beyond the decadence of emerald coloured chesterfield couches and delicately assembled rice paper rolls, there’s bellyful laughter and foamy pints of locally brewed beer. Mitch says, “Well, you know it can be fancy. But it doesn't mean that the fun needs to go.”

The Great Western Hotel is quickly becoming the culinary pride of Ballan.

Great Western Hotel Ballan 5368 2492 www.greatwesternhotelballan.com.au 110 Inglis St, Ballan

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LO ST PRO PROPE RTY PERTY

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LO S T R EC I P E

A local recipe from The Farmers Arms

White Chocolate Meringue

Ingredients

2 free range eggs (whites only) 100g caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 100g white chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup thickened cream 500g strawberries 2 teaspoons icing sugar Method

Preheat oven to 130C or 110C fan. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Using electric beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Spoon the mixture onto the trays and spread out, making four 8cm rounds. Use the back of a spoon to make an indent in each. Bake for 1 hour, swapping trays from top to bottom shelf halfway through. Turn oven off and prop the door open slightly. Leave in oven to cool completely.

Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and stand over a pan of simmering water until chocolate is just soft. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Refrigerate for ~45 mins, until cold and has the consistency of thickened cream. Beat with electric beaters until like whipped cream.

Chop strawberries and set half aside. Place the rest into a food processor with icing sugar and process until smooth. Spoon the cream mixture into the meringues and top with chopped L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 27 strawberries.

LO ST STORY

Gateways STORY BY ANTHONY CARRUBBA

H

ighly superstitious and deeply spiritual, Ancient Roman society ascribed divine significance to virtually every aspect of public and private life, from politics to the very passage of time itself. The Latin word “Ianus”, meaning ‘passageway’ or ‘door’, speaks to the nature of the god Janus. A deity bearing two faces, Janus was entirely unique to the Roman religion, unlike the many other gods that were held in common with the Greek Pantheon. One of Janus’ faces gazed forward through time, while the other cast its eyes into the past.

This unique cultural and religious phenomenon represents the spiritual weight that the Romans attributed to time and change. Janus was celebrated as the purveyor of all things transitory. He was associated with the dual faces of the heavens, the sun and moon, and particularly the changeover between these two celestial bodies. He represented doorways and bridges, each marking the point of transition between disparate spaces. Above all, he stood for the course of time, embodied by the calendar year, and especially the turnover from one year to the next.

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LO S T S TO RY

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LO ST STO STORY RY

It is from Janus’ name that we derive the month of January, the gateway to the new year. In this sense, Janus is the god of beginnings. The master of time itself, Janus and his devotees especially delighted in embarking on new journeys or phases in life.

Janus was worshipped as people grew into adults, became married, had children, or passed away. Those looking to effect significant change in their lives would dedicate such transformations to the two-faced deity. At least in part, this may be where we derive our tradition of New Year’s Resolutions.

well as the period of transition we have just passed over. After 12 months of undesired and unwelcome changes, the prospect of going on to voluntarily alter some further aspect of ourselves or our lives seems off-putting.

Alternatively, one might find it empowering to take the forces of change into one’s own hands after so long a time being subject to tumultuous circumstances beyond individual control. Perhaps we can learn from the Romans in their unabashed reverence and worship of the transformative powers of life by reveling in these uncertain times.

With January behind us, and Lost returning to print yet again, we should take stock of our lives after the whirlwind that was 2020, as

ANTHONY CARRUBBA

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LO S T S TO RY

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LO ST FE ATU R E

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LO S T FFEATU EATURREE

Natural Creations LIT TLE GALLERY TRENTHAM S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

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LO ST CREATE

T

he artist Marina Abramovic once said, “You know how you feel somebody looking at you, and you turn, and somebody actually is? It's the same at an art gallery. You're looking at one portrait, turn around, and there is a work of art directly behind you. Because it's all energy.”

at pictures and I drew this horse. The teachers said, ‘Well, who did that for you?’ I did it myself. It was like my eyes and mind opened by looking at these horses. It was really an observation skill that I must have already had.

And I knew then, it's not a mechanical painting or likeness of a horse, it's the movement, the motion or the emotion.”

Seven years ago, Little Gallery was founded in Trentham by local artists. The shared space is run by artists Rose Williams, Helen Cottle, Ri Van Veen and Kim Haughie.

In her painting Equine Movement, a portrait of a brown horse caught in muscular movement conjures an atmosphere of fragility.

The ceramicist Ri Van Veen presents stark pieces utilising the Raku traditions of 16th century Japanese potters. Her work Empty Nester features a birds nest on a Raku fired ceramic bowl with carbon impressions from feathers and horsehair.

“Most of our work represents a sense of local environment and the natural environment around us,” offers painter Helen Cottle. “I paint a lot of wildlife, landscapes and roads.

I've got a passion for gum trees and bush land.

I consider myself more of a realist but a realist impressionist.”

Helen counts the Heidelberg school, Arthur Streeton, John Singer-Sargent and Harold Herbert among her influences. The Australian impressionists of the Heidelberg school were responsible for evocative paintings that revived a rural mythology extant in Australia at the time.

“I can remember a particular time I was in primary school, and I'd written a story about a horse. The English teacher said, you need to make a cover for this little story. So I looked

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“I enjoy the fluidity, the fluidity and the emotion of it, it's generally connecting with the viewers emotions than just the visuals,” explains Helen. “What I love about watercolour is that it’s unpredictable. You think you know what's going to happen. The beauty sometimes lies in the things that go wrong. As long as you can let go enough to let it happen and not lose your marbles over it.”

Rose Williams paintings echo the human memories of place and our relationship to land or country.

“We lived down in the outskirts of Albury, which was all farmland when I was growing up,” she tells me. Art intoxicated Rose in her late teens. “It wasn't until I was living in Sydney and I went to Italy for the World Cup. I remember stepping foot into the Sistine Chapel and it was like a floodgate was opened.

I went to all the galleries in Italy, in Scotland, and when I came back, I got accepted into the National School in Sydney.”

While living in Sydney, Rose met a pilot who was flying to Arnhem Land. “All pilots need to gain their hours and the best way was to fly

LO S T F EATU R E

L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 37

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LO S T F EATU R E up north. It was a definite contrast, from the lifeline of Oxford Street to a community with 500 blackfellas and 50 whitefellas. It's a very old and sacred culture. And I think that even near the end of my time, I just touched on it ever so briefly. We were just visitors, on the outside looking in.”

The art in Trentham’s Little Gallery invites visitors to look into themselves. Rose paints large portraits of farmers from the local area, weathered and saturated faces appear timeless in the story of her canvas.

“Coming from the farming community, I wanted to highlight the farmers of this region

- especially their ancestors,” explains Rose.

“There were a couple of [Indigenous] artists in Arnhem Land, I can't mention their names because they've passed away, who would sit there and carve and paint and tell me stories.

That's where a lot of my work comes from, using paint to tell our story. Even though it's our own personal plight to tell the story. We'd like people to challenge themselves to unravel their own story.”

Little Gallery Trentham @trenthamlittlegallery 44 High Street, Trentham

L O S T M A G A Z I N E | 39

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LO ST PRODU CE

Reshape the

Future A D S U M FA R M H O U S E S TO RY BY M A H M O O D FA Z A L

H

PHOTOS BY CHRIS TURNER

aving settled in the rural hamlet of Glenlyon, with its rich volcanic soil, Edward and Fiona Benedict of Adsum Farmhouse are cultivating a small farm revolution. “I’ve always wanted to be countryside and I’ve always wanted to grow food,” explains Edward. “We're on three acres.

We don’t use a tractor. We’re a lot of manual work. And we grow a large variety of produce based on small-scale farming practices.”

Adsum Farmhouse’s website reads, “We honour the earth by only using organic farming practices, we live and grow by the seasons, and our philosophy is to “grow local, buy local, eat local”.

International research shows that monoculture farming can be bad for the environment through effects on soil quality, erosion, plants and animals, and ultimately declining crop yields. Adsum Farmhouse is challenging the industrial complex by illustrating how small scale biodiversity can reshape our future.

Edward points out, “There's a mentality that you need over 100 acres to be a farmer, anything less is not a real farm. We’re really only growing on one acre, when you add all the growing space together.”

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LO S T P RO D U C E

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www.adsumfarmhouse.com.au

Adsum Farmhouse is prolific with their production. They grow cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, spinach, rocket, carrots, beetroot, radishes, pumpkin, three varieties of tomatoes, jalapenos, eggplant, capsicum, snow pea, sugar snap, three types of onion, gherkins, blueberry, mulberries, apples, pears, garlic, rhubarb and more. “We kind of cover a lot of people's requirements,” says Edward. “Some people can do most of their shop with us.”

Both Edward and Fiona cite Canadian grower Curtis Stone and Québécois farmer JeanMartin Fortier as influences, both of whom are successful commercial vegetable growers who insist that a small-scale farm is more efficient and more sustainable.

Fiona adds, “We want to show people what they can produce and how successful they can be on a small scale acreage without the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides, and insecticides.”

Adsum Farm produces a wide range of top quality vegetables and edible flowers for the community, local restaurants and farmers' markets. First and foremost, Adsum Farmhouse prides itself on the ideals of family and what it means to provide. “It’s a family business,” quips Edward, “We feed over fifty families a week. People are amazed at what we bring to the market week after week...multiple tonnes of food.”

Fiona explains, “It’s challenging but there is a wonderful support network in the region. We chose the area for the soil, but we are working within a small and tight season. Six month winters more or less.”

“We have loyal customers who appreciate the fact that the food they are buying has been pulled out within 24 hours, it hasn't been on a truck, it hasn't been in a coolroom, it hasn't come from out of state—for that reason it has flavours people just aren’t finding in other

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LO S T P RO D U C E

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LO S T P RO D U C E supermarket vegetables,” explains Edward. “I think we're quite generous with our bunches and proportions. Biggest complaint we get is that our prices are too cheap.”

The principles of the organic farming revolution are ideal but like most revolutionary practices they are not for the faint hearted.

“It is absolutely seven days a week, morning til dark. It’s hard work.” How can we help?

“Buying local where you can and if you've got a backyard or front yard—nothing is too small to start growing.”

In a paper titled Small Farm Revolution, John Ikerd concludes, “Farms of the future must be as small as the ecological niches to which they must conform to be in harmony with the

diversity of nature. Farms of the future must be as small as the market niches to which they must conform to be in harmony with the diversity of human nature. The only farms with a future will be farms that are sustainable, economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially responsible.”

Adsum Farmhouse provide pick-up veg-box service, supply local farmers’ markets, cafes, restaurants and local retailers. You can also experience the revolution first hand by booking accomodation at the farm stay.

Adsum Farmhouse 0438 930 187 www.adsumfarmhouse.com.au 23 Dysart St, Glenlyon

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LO ST CO CKTA IL

SUFFERING BASTARD Another gin based drink sharing the spotlight with brandy (sometimes bourbon). In spite of not being a rum based drink this one IS strictly tiki with the ginger and lime backing track to the gin and brandy.

Made in 1942 by Joe Scialom at the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, it was touted as a hangover cure similar to drinks such as the Dead Bastard and the Dying Bastard.

30 ml Brandy 30 ml Gin 15 ml Lime Juice 15 ml Demerara Syrup x1 dash Angostura Bitters Shake and strain into any tiki mug or collins glass. Garnish with as much foliage as possible

ANIMUS DISTILLERY 1/89A Piper St Kyneton (03) 5403 2431 Wed-Sun from 12noon animusdistillery.com.au

image: Sirgurvin Palsson Ziggypalsson@instagram.com

Kylee Yee Photography

Find your happily ever after PEPPERS MINERAL SPRINGS HOTEL 124 Main Road, Hepburn Springs Vic 3461 I 03 5348 2202 mineralsprings.events@peppers.com.au I www.peppers.com.au/springs

LO ST EAT

LO S T EAT

The

Beating Heart Of History THE RED HILL HOTEL STORY BY L ARISSA DUBECKI P H O T O S B Y M I C H A E L R AY N E R

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LO ST EAT

L

ike many an old-time country pub, the Red Hill Hotel is the soul of its town in material form. The grand old Victorian striking a pose on Chewton’s main street dates back to 1854; one part of the brick boozer contains an original goldfields dance and music venue, while the basement once housed the local morgue and a jail cell. The broad veranda shaded by grapevines makes it the flyest pub for a country mile, while the front bar is straight from Classic Australiana central casting (on that note, if any location scouts are reading, it would make the perfect setting for the next Jane Harper adaptation.

You’re welcome.)

Publican James McLardy – better known as Jim, best spoken in a thick Glaswegian accent – resurrected the Red Hill three years ago. His arrival in town owes much to good luck mixed with happenstance: “I’d sort of stumbled on

it when I was visiting the area and it was just really something special. A few years later a friend texted me and said there’s a pub on the market you really should look at… it was kismet, I guess.”

The loss of any town’s only pub is a grave thing indeed, which makes it doubly wonderful that McLardy revived the Red Hill after its year-long dormancy, complete with a makeover including the taxidermied head of a Highland cow named Mary hanging above the fireplace in the front bar (“she lived on a friend’s farm and died of old age”, McLardy promises. “It’s a Scottish thing – if you walk into a pub there and there’s not a stag’s head on the wall there’s something seriously wrong).

More Scots irreverence shines through on a menu that contains a “Glasgow salad” – otherwise known as a bowl of fries. The smorgasbord of beer-sopping carbs continues

A Proper Pub. RH 163 Ma in Rd , C h ew to n 5416 1133 52 | L O S T M A G A Z I N E

LO S T EAT

LO ST EAT with chips doused in curry sauce and double cheese, while anyone wanting to elevate the tone can head in the direction of sweet and sour fried tofu with black sesame, Thai noodle salads and classic pan-fried ricotta gnocchi with rocket and zucchini pesto.

“COVID made us pull the menu back a bit to smaller and simpler,” says McLardy. “We’re planning on amping it up as the year goes on.”

To drink? Six taps host drops with a local focus, including Harcourt cider and Holgate’s Mt Macedon Pale Ale. If you want to get really local, try the Fresh As A Daisy Pale Ale from sometime Red Hill Hotel bartender Sam Wills’ Old Slang. There’s also Mountain Goat Steam Ale (“It’s a brand people from Melbourne recognise, so they don’t get edgy.”)

Summer is a fine time to be in Chewton, seven minutes’ drive from Castlemaine, when the beer garden buzzes with live music. In fact, this beguiling little spot might spark dreams of becoming the latest permanent blow-in to the town’s tight-knit community. You can leave it to the Scotsman to sum it up best. “It’s just a proper pub... the way they used to be and the way they always ought to be.”

The Red Hill Hotel 163 Main Road, Chewton 5416 1133 www.redhillhotel.com.au Open Friday 5pm-11pm; Saturday noon11pm; Sunday noon-5pm

The fun has begun!

This edition was printed on our new offset press at our new location.

Local production for local businesses = Local growth and local jobs

3 Old Creswick Road Wendouree VIC 3355 (03) 5338 2772 print@sovpress.com.au sovpress.com.au

LOS T

REAL ESTATE

2 1 Pe r r i n s S t r e e t , D a y l e s f o r d FOR SALE Elevated high on a hill capturing stunning views over Wombat forest, this large family home on a huge 1,625 sqm block offers lucrative development potential (STCA). Comprising 5 bedrooms plus study (main with ensuite), renovated kitchen and bathroom, laundry, and 2 living rooms with timber outdoor entertaining decks. Perfect as a family retreat, permanent home or short stay group accommodation.

Kim McQueen 0417 116 657 | Robert Broadhurst 0488 300 900

LO ST PROPE RTY

RESTAURANTS, CAFE'S & FOOD STORES BAD HABITS CAFE 5348 3211 7 Daly St, Daylesford.

Open daily, 10am-4pm.

Enjoy a light morning or afternoon tea, or a substantial breakfast or lunch. theconventgallery.com.au

PIZZERIA LA LUNA Delicious homemade pizzas feature a large, 13 inch thin base, rolled out fresh to order from our homemade pizza dough. Delivery and takeaway available.

BEPPE BAR & KITCHEN 5312 2778 32 Raglan St Daylesford.

Locals and visitors alike can enjoy a modern Italian dining space, contemporary cuisine and Italian wines. beppe.com.au

SAULT 5348 6555 2439 Ballan-Daylesford Rd, Sailors Falls. Seasonal Modern Australian dishes in a scenic homestead. Dinner Wed-Sun. Lunch Fri-Sun. sault.com.au

CLIFFY'S 5348 3279

SWISS MOUNTAIN HOTEL

30 Raglan St, Daylesford.

Cliffy’s has also become one of the region’s best known cafes. Stocking and serving local produce. cliffysemporium.com.au HEPBURN GENERAL STORE

102 Main Rd Hepburn Springs.

Open 7 day from 7am.

(Sundays 8am). hepburngeneralstore.com.au

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pizzerialaluna.com.au

5345 7006 3454 Midland Hwy, Blampied. Pub meals & Functions. Dinner TuesSan. Lunch Wed-Sun. Closed Monday.

swissmountainhotel.com.au

THE LOBBY BAR 5348 2271 77 Main Road Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days from 4pm until late. Swing by and settle in for the evening. bellinzona.com.au

LAKE HOUSE 5348 3329 4 King St Daylesford. Lunch & Dinner Daily. One of Australia's most awarded regional restaurants. lakehouse.com.au

THE VIRGIN CAFE 5348 2271 77 Main Road Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days from 7am. Part café, part gallery.

Enjoy some of the finest culinary delights in Victoria. bellinzona.com.au

PALAIS-HEPBURN 5348 1000 New chef serving up Modern Australian cuisine in a luxurious setting.

Open Thu 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am, Dinner from 5pm-9.30pm palais-hepburn.com

WOMBAT HILL HOUSE 7017 5999 Wombat Hills Botanical Gardens (Off Central Springs Rd) Daylesford.

Breakfast, bunch & lunch daily 9am-4pm. wombathillhouse.com.au

WINERIES, DISTILLERIES & CIDERIES

WELLNESS & BEAUTY

ANIMUS DISTILLERY 5403 2431 1/89A Piper St, Kyneton.

Artisan gin distillery.

Open 12-Late Wed to Sun. Mon and Tues open by appointment. animusdistillery.com

THE SPA AT LAKE HOUSE

DAYLESFORD CIDER 5348 2275 155 Dairyflat Rd, Musk.

Craft Cider, Tastings, Lunch & cellar-door sales. Online reservations, visit website for info on opening hours daylesfordcider.com.au

THE MINERAL SPA

PASSING CLOUDS 5348 5550 30 Roddas Lane, Musk.

Winery open daily 10am5pm. Lunch 12pm Fri-Mon (bookings are essential). passingclouds.com.au

5348 3329 4 King St Daylesford.

Open daily. Bookings essential.

Blissful treatments and mineral water spas. lakehouse.com.au/spa

5348 2100 124 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

Mineral water bathing and luxurious treatments mineralspa.com.au

SHOP TILL YOU DROP BUSTER MCGEE 5377 3618 10-12 Howe St, Daylesford.

Open 10am-5pm, Closed Tue Men’s clothing & grooming Stay Stylish Daylesford! bustermcgee.com.au

WINE BARS, HOTELS & BOTTLE SHOPS

PORTAL 108 5348 4353 108 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs Clothing, shoes, handbags, designer pet gear, homewares and jewellery portal108.com.au

FARMERS ARMS DAYLESFORD 5348 2091 1 East Street, Daylesford. Open 7 days lunch & dinner. Hotel and accommodation. thefarmersarms.com.au FOXXY'S AT CELLARBRATIONS 5348 3577 55 Vincent St Daylesford.

Open 7 Days until late.

Local and international wines, beers and spirits. cellarbrations.com.au

GALLERIES & STUDIOS BLACKGALLERY DAYLESFORD 0409 137 157 1 Hospital St, Daylesford.

Paintings, prints, sculpture & group workshops Open Sat & Sun 10 - 4pm blackgallerydaylesford.com

SERVICES OZ-TRANS 0407 697 877

FREIG H T · TRA N SPO RT · REMOVALS DAY L E S FO R D A N D C E N TRAL HI G HLANDS

Professional removals, general, furniture & produce freight. Art, piano's, pallets & parcels. Regular runs to Melbourne, Geelong & west/central Vic oztrans.com.au

SIGNSATION 0427 425 577 We specialise in hand painted signs and murals.

We also offer the most up to date methods in digital printing to our customers. signsation.net.au

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ACCOMMODATION HOTEL BELLINZONA 5348 2271 77 Main Rd Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

Bespoke accommodation in the heart of Hepburn Springs. bellinzona.com.au

THE HOUSES DAYLESFORD

BLACKSMITH'S COTTAGE 5348 2008 Situated 15 minutes from Daylesford, this renovated miner’s cottage is set on Victorian bushland & can accommodate up to 6 guests. thehousesdaylesford.com

THE TRAIN 5348 2008 Thoughtfully converted train carriage for two guests on a private block, only 5-min walk from Lake Daylesford. Pet friendly. thehousesdaylesford.com

FARMERS ARMS ART SUITES 5348 2091 2 East St, Daylesford Free Wi-Fi, Parking & Inroom mini bar. Across from the iconic Farmers Arms thefarmersarms.com.au

WOMBAT EDGE 5348 2008 A beautiful and modern country home for up to 11 guests. Set on 10 acres with a lake, and only 15 minutes from Daylesford. thehousesdaylesford.com

HOLYROOD HOUSE 5348 1063 51 Stanbridge St Daylesford. Unparalleled service in magnificent Victorian Guest House.

LEWELLYN HOUSE 5348 2008 Accommodateing 18 guests with 9 bedrooms & 9 ensuites. Positioned opposite The Convent Gallery. thehousesdaylesford.com

holyrooddaylesford.com.au

PARKSTONE REAL ESTATE 9115 7328 Shop 6/22-24 Howe Street, Daylesford. Real Estate Sales & Property Management.

Servicing Daylesford, Castlemaine & the Macedon Ranges. parkstonerealestate.com.au PEPPERS HOTEL 5348 2202 124 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs. Open 7 days.

1930's Daylesford hotel, transformed into a deluxe retreat. mineralspringshotel.com.au

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5348 2008 Office located at 3 Howe St Daylesford. Full service agency specialising in corporate retreats and both large & small groups. thehousesdaylesford.com

VENUES PALAIS-HEPBURN 5348 1000 Serving up the best cocktails in the shire. Selected French and local wines. Boutique bottle shop. Thu 5pm11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-12am Dinner from 5pm-9:30pm palais-hepburn.com THE FARM DAYLESFORD

0406 690 775 Daylesford's newest event space. Built from recycled tin, wood, striking power poles and 160 year old trusses. thefarmdaylesford.com.au

Q&A

LO S T S TO RY

L O S T

A MONTHLY INTERVIEW WITH A LOCAL

3. What has been an unexpected positive to come from the past year?

Personally I find myself saying out loud I enjoyed lockdown and kinda miss some aspects of it. It gave me lots of time with my gorgeous family and taught me to be grateful for what I have, especially where I live. After all, we were lucky enough to be able to go for walks in nature during lockdown. This period for me was very grounding.

4. If you were to be a tourist in our region for a weekend - what would your itinerary look like?

ANNISSA WHITE

Business Development Manager Daylesford Macedon Tourism

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at DMRT? I’m a mum of two and a wife to one. I grew up in the Yarra Valley, lived in St Kilda, then Kingsville eventually building a house in our spiritual home of Daylesford. My role as Business Development Manager at DMT is very rewarding because I work with such talented people and businesses.

These businesses do all hard work and I get to tell everyone about it, how good is that!

2. What has been the most challenging aspect of your role in this COVID riddled year?

This is a difficult one. There are so many itineraries I could recommend, our region is made up of so many little townships. Living in Daylesford I’ll have to pick a Daylesford itinerary.

For other itineraries please visit daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au Check in at Sky High Mount Franklin, this luxury property has spectacular 360 degree views and a great deck. On your way in be sure to grab a bottle, or six of Passing Clouds Pinot Noir and a cheese platter from Winespeake and enjoy the outlook.

In the morning have breakfast at Cliffy’s’ Emporium. My favourite there is Cliffy’s Benedict, it’s so delicious and full of flavour, you can’t go past it. After this you’ll need a walk, I recommend going to Tipperary Springs and waking the Twin Bridges circuit of the goldfield track, it’s about 5km and not to difficult.

For lunch go to Blake Family Grocer and check out their deli for some great pre made food. Grab your picnic blanket and head to Lake Daylesford or Jubilee Lake to enjoy the food and the scenery.

STAY WITH US

Talking to businesses during covid was tough for me, I just wanted to reach out, hug them and say everything will be ok. But I didn’t have the answers and couldn’t say that, while we were all For dinner you can’t go past Bistro Terrior for experiencing the same thing collectively our traditional French cuisine or the Surly Goat journey’s during this time were very different. serving prixe fixe 4 course menu of seasonal (03) 5348a2008 When I called to chat, I was surprised by how local produce. resilient everyone was and their genuine concern stay@thehousesdaylesford.com for others in our region stood out.

Sleep and repeat...

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